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.A G. BURTON, OF ROCHESTER, NEW-YORK.

Letters Patent No. 99,400, dated February 1, 1870.

IMPnovBMENT IN Loox-SPINDLES FOR seres The Schedule referred to in these Lettere Patent and making part of the same.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known thatl I, A. G. BURTON, of the city of Rochester, county of Monroe, and State of New York, have invented a certain new and Improved SpindleLOoiincction for Safes; and I do hereby declare that the following is a vfull and exact description of lthe same, referring to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figurel is a section of'a portion of a safe door, showing my improvement.`

Figure 2, a view showing an elevation of the geacshort spindles, B B, one opening from the outside and the other from the inside, and meeting at any inter` mediate position inthe plating. These spindles do not come opposite eachother, but at suitable distance apart, as shown, -therebyv making an irregular communication through the door, so that in drilling from the outside, the passage at the end will strike abruptly against the closed plating of the safe.

A connection is made betweenfthe spindles BB byv .means of gears'b b, lever-work, or any other arrange-- ment, by which motion may be imparted to the inner by turning the outer one.

When the inner spindle is to be connected with the lock-work, the gears will be found most convenient, as a continunous rotary movement as great or greater than a complete circle, must take place, but when it is attached to the heavy bolt-work ot' the door to throw it, the lever-work before spoken of may answer, as only a small movement is required.

. 'lhe arrangement, as above described, is applicable either to operate the lockwork or heavy boltwork.

If desired, also, the gears may bermade of unequal sizes to vary the action; or intermediate gears may be used between those connected with the spindle, by which means the spindles may be located at greater distances apart, thereby increasing the diticulty of inserting gunpowder, or otherwise making a connection through the safe.

ThespindIe'S, next thegea'rs, are preferably provided wlith reverse conical enlargements, c c, the object of' which is to prevent their being drawn or driven out endwise. If desired, however, these may be dispensed with, and the spindles made straight.

The object of this invention is to prevent a direct spindleconnection through the door from outside to inside, such as is now universally employed in safes.

The spindle is the' most vulnerable point about a safe. It is diicult to make it so strong as not to be drawn out or driven in. If it escapes this ordeal, itis liable to be softened by the heat of abloW-pipe, and drilled out.

By breaking the connection of the opening of the spindle, as described, the drilling of the outerportion `of the spindle will only strike against the solid plating inside, which cannot be drilled through. The turn of the passage at that point, andthe gearing embedded,

Awill prevent the reaching of the inner passage. And

if gunpowderis used, it will blow out, or, at any rate, it cannot act so effectively in the crooked passage as it would in a straight one.

If desired, the spindles, one or bth, may be screwed into the gears, as shown at d, fig,y 4, and retained by a key, f. This will allow the spindles to be inserted from the outside of the door, and will also adapt the length of the spindles to di'erent thicknesses vof the safe.

The dial O, upon the exterior of lthe door, is made in the form of a ring,.leaving an open space, g, surrounding the spindle. rlhe spindle also is provided vwith several pointers or index-hands hh, to be. used in connection with the figures upon the dial.

By leaving the space g, in the dial, no chance is left to enable a burglar to attach an indicating-apparatus to the spindle, to show the positionsof the wheels of the lock. l

In ordinary locks this space is covered by the escntcheon of the knob, and expert burglars, by a visit v prior to the one for the opening of the safe, attach a tine apparatus to the spindle, which, lin the ordinary use ofthe lock, leaves'marksupon the surface beneath of the position of the wheels when set. By leaving this space entirely open, no such attachment can he made without detection.

By the use of several pointers or index-hands, the burglar is at alossto know which was used in making the combination. They also enable the saine combination to be set bythe use of several pointers.

What I claim, is-v j The arrangement of the gear-wheels b l1 within the body of the door, in combination with a lock or boltt work arranged on the back side of the door, and the knob-spindle out of line with the lock or bolt-work spindle, substantially as specified.

In witness whereof. I have hereunto signed my name,

in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

Witnesses:l A. G. BURTON;

WM. STREETER, It. F. Oscoop. 

